Prompt payment guidance for suppliers
Invoice guidance for suppliers
Suppliers who have provided goods or services to the Department must follow the guidance below when submitting an invoice to the Department.
Suppliers’ invoices must include the following information:
- Date of invoice
- Supplier name and contact details
- Supplier bank details
- The valid purchase order number provided by the Department (if a valid purchase order is not provided the invoice may be returned unpaid)
- The agreed charge (and where not complete a breakdown of the relevant work or services as they relate to this charge or an explanation of a difference in expected charge)
- Confirmation that the services detailed have been fully performed
All invoices should be sent to the following address:
BIS Financial Services Team
Queensway House
West Precinct
Billingham
Stockton-on-Tees
TS23 2NF
If the above guidance is followed the Department will regard the invoice as being correctly rendered.
Upon receipt of a correctly rendered invoice as detailed above the Department will aim to pay valid invoices as soon as possible with a target of 10 days from date of receipt and within 30 days at the latest in line with our standard terms and conditions.
Suppliers should note that the date of invoice receipt is defined as the date of receipt at the above address.
If an invoice is disputed you will be informed and given the relevant contact details for further enquiries. In such cases the payment target will be frozen whilst the dispute is resolved.
If your invoice was legitimate and we took over 30 days to pay it you may have recourse through the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998. (Guide to this and other debt legislation).
Questions and answers
Will this apply to my organisation?
We will be speeding up the payment process for all goods and services suppliers.
Even if we are not an SME?
Larger organisations will still benefit from the faster payment terms. However, if you have subcontractors we will be asking you to pass on those faster payment terms to help smaller organisations further down the supply chain.
Will the terms and conditions of my contract have to change?
No.
My organisation is a grant recipient - will our payment terms be faster?
The grant payments we make are already usually on payment terms of 5 to 10 days.
When do I start counting the 10 days?
We will count from the day we receive the invoice at our designated address (see below).
What constitutes a valid invoice?
If your contract with the Department is for goods or services of over £250 in value you will need to quote a valid Purchase Order number or your invoice will be returned. Your primary contact within the Department should be able to supply this if you do not already have one. Our guidance for suppliers includes other information which should help you submit a valid invoice.
Where should I send my invoices?
You should send all BIS invoices to:
BIS Finance Team
Queensway House
Billingham
Stockton-on-Tees
TS23 2NF
Who do I contact if I have a query about an invoice or a payment?
You should get in touch with your primary contact within the Department, usually the person who manages your contract for BIS.
How will I know when a payment has been made?
You will receive a remittance advice, by e-mail if you have notified us of an appropriate address, or in the post. We make payments every day and the advice will be sent out on the day we make the payment. Unless you have arranged otherwise, all payments are made by BACs and will take two days to arrive in your account.
What can I do if I believe I have been paid late?
If your invoice was legitimate and we took over 30 days to pay it you may have recourse through the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998. (Guide to this and other debt legislation).
